Angels We Have Heard on High
by Clueless4You
Summary: Kanda is a grumpy medical student on the road to success. Allen is his Guardian Angel. The only catch is that when an Angel saves its charge from something, it will undergo the experience itself, and an Angel isn't an invisible, immortal being. It will lose its wings, become human, and insert itself into its charge's life to protect it. Uploads will most likely be sporadic.
1. Chapter 1

Angels are extremely similar to humans, other than their wings. But once one becomes a guardian angel and passes into the realm of the living, the wings are painlessly removed. Guardian angels are not, contrary to popular belief, apparitions that watch over us day and night. They are beings inserted into our lives by the Guardian Angel Agency, whom we recognize as humans. They may be a neighbor, a friend, or even the weird guy that runs the hot dog stand on the street below your apartment. But they aren't as they seem, and to keep that illusion up, they are susceptible to anything that a human is. Injury, sickness, you name it. But they are faster healers, have stronger immune systems, and are less likely to contract any illnesses. It is extremely hard to kill an angel.

An angel's eyes are special. They are oddly-colored, often either brighter than normal or a strange shade. They are capable of calculating anything that endangers their charge, and keep track of everything they witness, though unknown to the angel. All guardian angels have photographic memories, and most have extremely high IQs. This aids in solving recurring problems, among other things.

Kanda woke to the alarm clock buzzing madly in his ear, spouting some stupid new boy band on the radio. He raised his hand and smashed the device's off button, stopping the thing from breaking his eardrums. He stood and stretched his arms high above his head. He shed his pajamas and pulled on his exercise gear; sweatpants and a cutoff tee.

Morning was his favorite time of day. The air hadn't yet gotten stuffy, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and there were absolutely no people around at this ungodly hour.

He snatched his katana, Mugen, from where it rested on the dining room table and exited his small apartment. He jogged the seven flights of stairs to the ground floor and exited quickly, before the desk lady noticed him.

"Kanda, wait!"

Oops, too late.

"What the fuck do you want today, lady?" he asked grouchily. This was normally where his day started to go south. The lady furrowed her brow at his language and held a perfectly manicured nail out towards him.

"You listen here, you hooligan. I only let you stay here because you can pay beforehand every month. But if you go causing another ruckus with anyone else who lives here, you're out. I can't have you ruinin' my business and my reputation with that temper of yours."

Kanda snorted and turned away. "Whatever, lady. I could find a million places better than this dump to live; I only stay here for the park across the street."

The lady scoffed and Kanda knew she had folded her arms, like she did every morning. He didn't stay to hear the wonderfully barf-inducing speech she had prepared for him about 'manners' and his 'rudimentary behavior'.

Maybe he should have.

As he walked across the street, ignoring everything around him, he didn't notice the drunk driver, still hammered from the previous night, come swerving down the street maniacally. At the last second, he heard a squeal of tires and looked up to see the vehicle only a few meters away.

He stared into the oncoming lights numbly. He was even slightly curious what death would be like. Would he get to meet the big man in the sky that everyone always talks about? Or would he go down to the other half of things?

Kanda supposed he would find out soon. He closed his eyes tightly. There was a pressure against his chest, like a hand, then he hit the ground.

He opened his eyes slowly. He looked around him, and saw that he was off to the side of the road, out of the way of the car. But in front of the car, a few feet away from the dented bumper, was the body of an old man, crumpled in on itself.

'_Ah, shit. Does that count as getting in trouble?'_

Allen looked eagerly at the papers. He was finally getting to take the guardian's exam! He had been waiting for this day for a long time; two thousand four hundred and seventy-six years, to be exact. Normally, it only took two millennia to be able to take the exams, but Allen had been held back due to his lack of education.

That was okay, he was here now!

He ducked his head to the paper in front of him and thought about the question. _'Hmmm… what does a guardian angel absolutely never do? They never… put themselves before their charge.'_ He quickly scribbled down his answer and moved on.

After an hour, he lifted his head proudly and raised his paper. He stood and ran across the room as fast as he could, placing the paper on the examiner's desk. The elderly angel finished checking the paper in his hands before setting it off to the side and picking up Allen's papers.

Allen moved back to his seat quickly and sat, glancing around at the angels around him. They were anxiously awaiting their results as well. They were chewing on their nails, drumming their fingers, tapping their feet. One girl kept running her hand through her hair, tangling her fingers in it and twisting it into a small ball on the side of her head.

At three o'clock, a bell rang, signaling the end of the testing period. Everybody stood up from their chairs and walked out the door. Allen took a shaky breath and flexed his fingers. They were stiff from being clenched so tightly. He walked with the rest of the angels to the front door and outside. He parted from the rest of the group as they all went down to the nearest bar.

What, angels can't have any fun?

Allen walked the four blocks to his home and unlocked the front door. He closed it gently behind him and sighed, looking around. His place was small, but nice. It had two small bedrooms and one and a half baths. The kitchen was full-size and even had a microwave. He kept the fridge well-stocked, enough for several days if need be.

He tossed his pencil onto the table and tossed himself onto the couch. He groaned into the pillow; he had realized multiple questions that he could have answered better. Boy, if he failed this one, he was gonna be a normal old angel for the rest of eternity. He didn't want that! He wanted to protect people, save their lives. Not welcome them to the afterlife and be boring.

He whipped himself up a quick supper and wolfed it down, dumping his dishes in the sink. He leaped up the stairs two at a time and catapulted into his bed. It was old and comfy, broken into his shape. He didn't bother to change his clothes as he clicked off his lamp and closed his eyes.

When he woke up the next morning, there was a message on his answering machine.

"_Mr. Walker, this is Joshua Pinkett, I work with the GAA _(Guardian Angel Agency)._ I am pleased to inform you that you passed your test with a final percent of 93.76%. That is one of the highest scores in the past seventy years. Please go to the testing hall by noon today to receive your charge's file."_

Allen jumped up and down. "Yes, yes, yes! I passed, I passed! Tim, did you hear? I passed the test, I'm gonna be a guardian!" A small yellow puppy ran through the doggy door in the back of the house. It leaped on top of a chair and onto Allen's head, yapping excitedly.

"Ha-ha!" He plucked the dog from his head and swung it around in circles. Suddenly, Allen froze, panic written all over his face. "Oh, Tim! I have to get going to the test hall! I'm gonna be late!" He dropped the dog and snatched his wallet from the kitchen table.

The white-haired boy sprinted down the road to the test hall, barely making it inside before the town's clock tower struck noon. He ran up to the back of the diminishing line. He wondered what kind of person he was going to guard. He hoped it would be somebody important. He would love to be known as the guardian who saved the person who saved the world from the apocalypse. That would be nice.

When he finally got to the front of the line, he held his hands out anxiously as the distributor snatched the last file from the bottom of the bin. 'Allen Walker' was scribbled in big black lettering across the front of the manila folder. The older angel placed it carefully in Allen's hands.

Allen thanked the man profusely before turning and dashing out of the hall. He skipped down the road, barely managing to keep his wings in check.

Allen closed his front door and leaned against it heavily. He tore open the folder, snatching the papers from inside.

"Come on, come on, gimme someone good!" He looked at the name. _'Yuu Kanda, huh? Sounds like an Asian name, do I have to learn another language to be his guardian?' _Allen looked at the picture next. It was of a pretty girl who was scowling fiercely. She had long blue hair tied high in the back, with two strands loose in front of her ears. Her eyes were a cobalt-y blue, shining with unconcealed anger.

"Boy, I didn't get a nice one, did I, Tim?" The yellow dog whined in agreement. Allen glanced at the rest of the file. "18 years old, Japanese," _'Hah, I was right!'_ "Lives in England. Maybe I don't have to learn Japanese after all!" He chuckled.

"Okay, what's next? Family was…" He broke off. _'Oh, god, this kid's just like me. That must be why they put her in my care.'_ He took a deep breath. "Family was killed when he-Wait, he? This person is a boy?" Allen shook his head in disbelief. "Whatever. Family was killed when he was six, he moved from foster home to foster home before settling in with one Froi Tiedoll, who had two other foster children. He was never adopted, and lived with Froi until he recently turned of age and moved to London."

Allen took a breath. "I guess I'd better get a move on, Tim. This kid's in my care now, and if anything happens to him, I'm gonna be in some serious trouble."

The dog 'roof'ed seriously, already having dragged Allen's small athletic bag with all he needed for the time he would be in the realm of the living.

"Thanks, Tim, you're a real pal." Tim nodded huffily and sauntered into the next room.

'_What a pill,'_ Allen thought. He pulled out the last thing from the bottom of the envelope, stuffing the rest of the papers back inside. It was a small, square-ish, metal block with a button on the side. He pressed it.

A blue beam shot out of the box, widening into a hologram message. A distinctly feminine voice emitted from the machine. "Hello, Mr. Walker. You have been chosen to be the guardian angel of Yuu Kanda. If you accept this charge, please nod for the camera." The voice paused. He nodded quickly, looking straight at the tiny lens. "Good. Now that you have accepted Mr. Kanda as your charge, this device will open a portal to the mortal realm. Once opened, this portal will last five minutes. Hurry through, as once it is closed it will not open again. Step carefully through, as the edges of the portals are unstable and could cause permanent dismemberment if touched." The voice cut off.

Allen gulped. He placed the device on the floor, away from his body. It vibrated once, long and high-pitched. A bright blue beam of light shot out from the top, widening into a swirling disc. It shimmered and shone, wavered and undulated. The portal was about seven feet high, and three feet across, to accommodate the largest-sized angels.

"No time like the present, I guess. Better get a move on." He hefted the athletic bag and tossed it over his shoulder. Taking one last glance over his shoulder to make sure he had left enough food for Tim, he stepped carefully through the portal and entered into the world of the living.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I am so sorry about the long wait! I've been so busy with everything, I completely forgot! In case you care, I am officially a cheerleader! But anyway, I'm here now, so have fun! To answer a question I was asked, when Guardian Angels don't 'put themselves before their charge,' it means that they aren't supposed to think of themselves first. The charge is the first priority.**** LOVE YOU ALL!**

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As soon as Allen jumped through the portal into the living world, he was spit out into a busily trafficked street. Bright lights and honking horns assaulted his senses as he twisted and turned to avoid getting flattened by the oncoming vehicles.

His wings were no longer on his back, as they would draw too much attention to him, and the main goal of being a guardian angel was to do the job and not be seen. The bag he had brought flopped around from where it hung on his shoulder.

Allen managed to stumble to the edge of the road without getting hit. He dropped his bag, put his hands on his knees, and stopped to catch his breath. Once he got his breathing back under control, he snatched the bag from the sidewalk and took off at a brisk pace towards the nearest residential area.

After three wrong turns, four dead ends, and a small mishap with a hot dog vendor, Allen finally found himself outside of the address on his paperwork. The building was large and imposing, with more than ten floors of apartments. Each level had multiple windows, maybe twenty per floor.

"4128 Seneca Road, London, England, apartment A28. I guess this is where one Yuu Kanda lives. Huh, I should see about getting an apartment next door so I can keep a better eye on him. Until then, I guess I'll keep a low profile and camp out for the night." He spoke softly to himself.

Reaching into his bag, he drew out a long, tattered, brown cloak and drew it tightly around his shoulders. He tossed the bag under a bench right across the street from the building. He clambered onto the bench and feigned sleep. He looked like a hobo, spending the night in a park.

After five hours of holding his position, a light flicked on in the long line of second row windows. He could see the faint outline of a long-haired, slender person moving around inside the room. It darted out of view, then back in front of the window, hair now tied up elegantly.

'_That's gotta be him; I'd wager he's the only one in England who can stand to have hair that long.'_ Allen sat up slowly, stretching his somewhat frozen muscles. He fished the athletic bag out from under the bench and shoved the cloak back inside, trading it for a tweed jacket and bowler cap. He had the white hair of an old man; he figured he might as well use what he was given.

He only had to wait another seven minutes and twenty-six seconds for the door to open and Yuu to emerge. "It's show time."

Allen didn't know why he was so excited. It wasn't like he was going to get results on his first day, was it?

His eyes, though he wasn't paying attention, caught onto the sight of a moving vehicle. His brain automatically calculated the speed of the car, the angle, Yuu's current speed, and the reaction time of the driver, who appeared to be heavily buzzed. If he didn't do something, there was no way Yuu would be able to get out of the way in time.

Allen jumped forward, trying to keep his pace inconspicuous. He didn't want to draw Yuu's attention and make him suspicious. At the last minute, when Yuu's eyes were wide with fright and he knew that he figured himself dead, he leaped at Yuu and pushed him out of the way. He fell, out of range of the car's front. Allen, on the other hand, was not so lucky.

The car's grille slammed into Allen's ribcage with the force of a rampaging elephant. He felt several ribs break, and his left shoulder came out of its socket with a sickening pop. The car continued on its path, and his head collided with the hood of the car, making red and green spots dance wildly across his vision.

In the back of his mind, he heard the tires screech as the car came to a stop and his body went flying. He twisted in the air, landing solidly on his right ankle, making pain lance up his leg. He didn't have any time to cry out as the rest of his body landed heavily on the tarmac.

There was a moment of silence, echoing loudly in Allen's ringing ears, before the car door slammed and two pairs of footsteps ran to his side. One was sure and steady, the other staggering and awkward. Voices rang out above him. He forced his eyes open as a hand gently pressed against the side of his neck.

A large hand took up most of his vision. He followed it up to the person crouched in front of him. A feminine face; pointed nose, smooth skin, and the brightest, bluest eyes he had ever seen.

There was no doubt; this was Yuu Kanda.

Kanda sat on the ground for a moment as the body of the old man lay still on the road, a mere fifteen feet away. He stared, unable to move. Then the car door slammed, and his mind caught up to the situation at hand. He sprinted towards the limp body, crouching beside it. The driver of the car staggered over, seemingly hammered. He stood above the two, worrying and fretting, but not doing anything about it.

"Oh god, oh god, oh shit, what did I _do_, oh man, I didn't mean it; it was an accident…" The drunk carried on, staggering away from the scene. The apartment's receptionist, who had noticed the commotion, rushed out of the building.

The teen rolled the old man onto his back, being careful of his twisted limbs. "Oh, shit. That's not pretty."

It wasn't an old man. Instead, it was a very young boy. Eleven or twelve, at most. His face was covered in blood dripping down from a gash at his right temple. His eyes were closed and his skin sickly pale. His left arm was twisted 180 degrees, and the elbow bent backwards. Kanda could see the right ankle was swollen already, even with socks and shoes on. Kanda put his first two fingers on the vein in the boy's neck, hoping desperately for a pulse. It took a while, but he was rewarded with a faint beat beneath his fingers. The samurai sighed in relief and looked up at the receptionist.

"Don't just stand there, you retard! Call 911 and get a fucking ambulance down here!" The lady nodded frantically and whipped out her cell, punching in three quick numbers. Kanda turned his attention back to the boy as he heard the woman speaking urgently into the receiver of her phone.

The boy was squirming and groaning beneath him. His breath came in short, strangled pants. Kanda watched apprehensively as the boy's eyes flickered open, revealing silvery irises. He focused on Kanda's hand, then his gaze traveled up to his face. Kanda stared at the boy as his eyes widened, almost like he recognized him.

Kanda leaned down and looked hard into the child's eyes. His pupils were different sizes and changing every second.

'_Damn, he's got one hell of a concussion. I can't move him like that. And he's losing a lot of blood fast.'_ Kanda reached down and tore a strip of his tank top off. He pressed the bunched up cloth to the gash on his head and held it there firmly, speaking softly to him.

"Hey, kid, what's your name?" he asked. When the kid didn't respond, he tapped him gently on the jaw. "Hey, I asked what your name is. I can't just call you kid, can I?"

The boy frowned. He opened his mouth, fishing for words. "Dun' call m' tha'… m' name's Allen." Kanda smirked.

"There you go, Allen, keep talking to me. How old are you?" While Allen thought, Kanda tore another strip of his top off to tie the rest firmly to the wound. "You got an answer for me yet? C'mon, how old are you? Twelve, ten, what?"

"I'm fifteen, jerk." He replied drunkenly.

"Really? You don't look that old." Allen gasped in pain. "Okay, Allen? I'm in college to be a doctor. My name is Kanda, I'm gonna help you until the ambulance gets here." The boy nodded once, gritting his teeth. "Don't move your head, okay? You have a concussion."

Kanda's fingers gently probed and prodded his mangled shoulder. Allen let a hiss slide between his teeth. "Sorry Allen, but I don't have anything to make the pain go away. You'll just have to bear with me, alright?"

He didn't wait for an answer before unzipping the tweed jacket he wore. Next he pulled out a pocket knife and sliced through his cotton shirt, revealing his torso. The boy's chest was depressed in places, guaranteeing several broken ribs and implicating a flail break. Kanda placed his hand over one of the depressions and pressed softly.

Allen let out a strangled scream and Kanda immediately lessened the pressure. Allen started coughing, and a large dribble of blood left the corner of his mouth.

"Ah, shit," Kanda mumbled under his breath. "Okay Allen, it's a little more serious than I thought. Some of those broken ribs have punctured your lungs. I can't do much about that right now. I just need you to keep talking to me, okay?"

Allen mouthed a shaky 'yes'. "Good, good. Are you in school?" He continued to ask questions as he moved down to his injured ankle. He pulled Allen's shoe off and peeled the fancy white sock off as well. Allen's ankle was twice as large as it should have been, and dark purple. Kanda shifted it slightly, eliciting more groans.

"That's definitely broken…" he stopped when Allen didn't answer his latest question. "Allen? Hey, did you hear me?" He looked at Allen, who had stopped making his pained noises.

Kanda crawled back to the boy's head. His eyes were closed.

"Allen! Wake up, right now!" Kanda threw caution to the wind as he slid his hand behind Allen's head and lifted it off of the ground. He rocked it side to side, calling his name all the while. Allen didn't respond.

"No way, you idiot! I'm not gonna let you die, you hear?!" Kanda felt tears starting to form in his eyes. "Not after you saved me, dumbass!" He shoved his hand beneath the boy's nose, hoping beyond hope that he was breathing.

Nothing.

He put his fingers to Allen's neck once more, praying for a heartbeat.

Again, nothing.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Kanda said breathily. "You've gotta be fucking KIDDING ME!" He shouted at the sky. He lowered the boy back to the ground and put his hands over the center of his chest, fingers interlocked. He pushed straight down firmly, wincing as he heard more bones cracking with the pressure. He made thirty compressions before tilting the boy's chin up and pinching his nose closed.

Kanda took a half breath and sealed his mouth over Allen's, forcing the oxygenized air into his system. He sat back and watched as Allen's chest fell, dispelling the air, and gave him another breath before returning to the compressions.

Kanda repeated the cycle eight times before gave up. He screwed his eyes shut and held in a sob as he bent over the limp figure. The boy fisted his hand and raised it, as if to hit Allen. But he couldn't bring himself to strike the boy, and he let his hand drop limply onto Allen's chest. After a long minute, he pushed himself off of the child and sat up on his heels. His fists clenched by his sides, he stared hopelessly at the limp form in front of him.

Allen's prone body was sprawled out haphazardly. His clothing was thrown wide on either side of him. His white hair clung to his head, damp with sweat. For the first time, Kanda noticed the bright red scar that snaked its way down the boy's face. It crossed his eye vertically. It was crisscrossed by another, more wavy line, and turned abruptly about an inch below his eyelid. A short distance later, it turned again and fell down his cheek. At the very top was an inverted pentacle.

The med student reached out slowly and brushed his fingers across the star, tears starting to flow down his face. He bent over the boy once more and wrapped his arms around the figure, bringing him up into a tight hug. He rested his cheek on Allen's head, holding in the sobs as best as he could.

He rocked back and forth with the boy in his arms, waiting for the ambulance to arrive and the police to arrest the driver. The attendant rushed back out of the building with towels and a first aid kit in hand, only to stop short of the two.

"Kanda…w-why aren't you doing something?" she asked warily. "Why aren't you trying to save him?!" She was silenced by a blank stare from the blue-haired man. His face was utterly emotionless, when normally there was anger present 24/7.

The lady walked forward, orange curls bouncing in the morning light. She marched right up to Kanda and slapped him solidly across the face. His head whipped to the side, and shock finally registered.

"H-he's dead." Kanda said. His voice was disbelieving, but firm. "I tried my best, but I couldn't save him."

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**I'm sorry about the cliffhanger, but I'll try not to leave it hanging for so long again! Please review! And thank you for all of your wonderful reviews on Chapter 1!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I am so sorry about the wait! I am so grateful to anyone who reads this after the super long hiatus! I won't bother you with a long explanation, but I am sorry! Here we go!**

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Allen's head was fuzzy. He couldn't draw a breath; there was something stuffed in his face. He limply raised his intact arm and pushed against the thing. He heard a gasp, and suddenly he could breathe again. A warm hand was placed against his cheek, and a thumb brushed under his eyelashes. Suddenly, he felt warm, wet drops fall onto his forehead and cascade down his face.

Forcing his eyes open, he saw the same face as before. He felt a flash of déjá vu, though it passed quickly. This time, instead of being wide-eyed and concerned, his eyes were tightly closed and tears were escaping at a rapid pace. His face was scrunched up and twisted in pain. Though, he didn't seem to actually be hurt. Why was he crying? He lifted his hand weakly and put it to his face, mimicking the hand on his.

Yuu opened his eyes, startled, letting the tears fall faster. Allen smiled at him and gently used his thumb to remove the trails of moisture from his face. His shoulder gave a throb of pain and Allen stiffened, dropping his hand down to cradle the dislocated joint. The boy gasped slightly and started to lower him to the ground.

Allen felt the cold, wet ground of the London street on his back and rested his head against the pavement. Warm hands explored his left shoulder, creating small waves of pain. Suddenly, those hands gripped his upper arm firmly and twisted it roughly, forcing the joint back into place.

Allen cried out swiftly, before relaxing into the slight relief of his muscles and ligaments being back in their normal positions. Another female figure knelt beside him and spoke to Yuu. Allen didn't pay attention, drifting off into a light doze for a moment.

His nap-of-sorts was interrupted by an extremely deep male voice calling his name. The boy cracked one eye open and peered around for the source. He didn't find one; the only people near him were the lady with a skirt on, and Yuu Kanda. He shut his eye again, chalking it up to pain.

Until, of course, the man called his name again and squeezed his bicep urgently. The rough, calloused hands were elegant, yet deadly firm. Allen opened both eyes this time, and followed the hand up to find Yuu Kanda attached to it.

Allen blinked. Why didn't Yuu just let him go to sleep? He just wanted to sleep…

Kanda pressed Allen's face into his chest as he hugged the limp body of the boy. He cursed himself vehemently in his mind for letting the boy die. He was only fifteen, for chrissakes! Kanda felt terrible. Not only had he not been able to save him _after_ the accident, he had been the cause of the boy's injuries!

The boy had, for some unknown reason, pushed Kanda out of the way of a drunk driver and was hit in his stead. His body was in awful condition, and his heart soon gave out afterwards. For several minutes, Kanda had performed CPR, to no avail.

Kanda blamed himself wholly for the incident, and the death of the boy.

As he was berating himself for such an uncontrollable mishap, he almost didn't notice the small, shaky hand that was pushing against his chest. Kanda sharply inhaled as his eyes widened. He pulled the boy's body away from his own, and the boy took in a large breath of air.

Kanda put his hand on the still-warm cheek, as if to assure himself that Allen really was alive, and it wasn't some awful joke. He stroked his thumb under Allen's eye, willing the boy to open the silvery orbs. He felt tears welling up in his eyes as he watched the boy breathe. He didn't notice them falling until they splashed down on Allen's face and rolled down his cheeks, making it look like Allen was crying.

The samurai squeezed his eyes shut to stop the droplets from coming, but still they came. He tried to keep the sobs from wracking his body, but he was so relieved that Allen was alive. He just couldn't help himself.

Kanda felt a cold hand pressing against his cheek, much like his against Allen's face. He gasped and opened his eyes. It was Allen who was touching his face, thumb stroking away the tears that fell from Kanda's wide eyes. The older was about to speak, when Allen winced and dropped his hand to clutch at his injured shoulder.

Kanda slowly worked Allen back to the ground and moved his hands to the dislocation. He realized it was only a partial dislocation, which was in some ways even worse than a complete one. The ligaments and tendons were constantly being stretched from all angles, instead of just the one side. It was a more painful experience, for sure.

The med student's long fingers expertly latched onto Allen's upper arm and twisted the joint back into place. _'Sorry, kid, but that one had to be done.'_ Kanda thought to himself as the white-haired boy lurched in pain. Allen fell back to the hard tarmac, catching his breath.

Kanda heard heels clacking on the streets, coming to a stop right in front of him.

"Kanda? What happened, I thought you said he was… you know?" The receptionist lady crouched beside Allen's lax form.

"He was." Kanda gently put his hands over Allen's ears, blocking his next words. "His heart was stopped, and he hadn't been breathing. I got through eight rounds of CPR before I stopped. I don't even know how he did it, because it wasn't my doing."

Receptionist lady gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh, god… well, he's okay now, right?"

"He might be. If the ambulance gets here in time." Kanda lifted the boy's shoulders and slid his knees gently under his back.

The girl nodded solemnly. "I called it in, and they should be getting here soon. A minute or two, maybe?" Right on cue, sirens could be heard in the distance. Kanda looked down at the boy in his lap. His eyes were closed.

"Allen? Allen, are you awake?" The teen started to panic again. He squeezed the child's upper arm. "Allen!" the white-haired boy shifted slightly and forced his eyes open again.

"What do you want?"

Kanda smiled in relief at the boy's response. "I want you to stay awake until the ambulance gets here. I don't want any more surprises from you, got it?"

Allen nodded once. "I'll try." He coughed then, a harsh, throaty sound that made Kanda's bones shiver. Specks of blood glittered on Allen's lips in the morning light. He finished his coughing fit and moaned loudly. "Kanda… it hurts…"

Kanda petted the boy's hair to hush him. "I know, I know it hurts. You just have to wait a little longer. The ambulance is almost here, I promise."

Allen looked up at Kanda with the most trusting eyes the teen had ever seen. He struggled to lift his right arm into view and raised his pinky finger.

"You swear?"

Kanda linked his pinky with the injured boy's. "Of course, I swear."

Allen smiled and let his hand drop back down to the ground. Kanda stroked his hair and the sides of his face, his own hair falling out of place. It fell almost in a curtain-like way, shielding them from the rest of the world. Kanda found it amusing; the closest he had basically ever gotten to a person, and it was with a strange young boy that he had just met.

Allen coughed once more, letting a trail of blood slide from his bottom lip. The sirens got louder, and the ambulance finally rounded the corner, lights blazing. It screeched to a stop a few meters away from the two, and three men immediately jumped out from the vehicle. Two of the men ran to Kanda's side and started examining Allen, while the other ran to the back and opened the doors. He pulled out a stretcher and wheeled it over to them.

The man who brought the stretcher took Kanda by the shoulder and led him off to the side. Kanda shrugged off the offending hand.

"What happened?" The man asked. Kanda turned his head away.

"Che. That idiot got hit by a car. The driver ran off that way." He pointed offhandedly to the east. "Guy was totally hammered. Probably passed out in a back alley now." The EMT scowled. He visibly reigned in his dislike for Kanda before speaking again.

"Okay, fine. Do you know who the boy is?"

"His name is Allen. He's fifteen. That's all I got out of him."

"What do you mean, 'got out of him'? Did you speak to him after he got hit?" Kanda nodded again.

"I'm premed. I did the best I could before you guys got here. He's got a concussion and broken ribs. His shoulder was dislocated, but I put it back in place. I'm not entirely sure, but I think he's got a punctured lung. He's been hacking up blood for a while. His right ankle is busted up to shit, probably shattered."

The EMT blinked. "All…right then." He turned back to his companions, who were just strapping Allen onto the stretcher. "Hey, we need to get this kid back ASAP!"

The other men nodded and hefted Allen into the back. They jumped up, and were about to close the doors when Allen shouted out Kanda's name.

"Kanda, don't leave me!" Allen said.

The samurai stiffened, then ran forward and jumped into the ambulance as well. The EMTs eyed him oddly, but continued to work on Allen. Kanda grabbed Allen's right hand- the one thing that didn't seem to be injured- and the boy clutched back with all his might.

The EMT opposite Kanda held up a syringe filled with anesthetic. Allen's eyes widened and he thrashed desperately in the restraints. Kanda tightened his grip considerably and bent over the writhing boy. The older boy forced Allen to look him in the eye.

"Please, please, don't let them do that!" The boy begged. "Please, make them stop!" Kanda quieted the boy with a hand on his head.

"Allen, calm down. It's to take away the pain, nothing more. I swear, I wouldn't let them do anything to hurt you." The boy's eyes drifted back down to the needle. Kanda shook his hand to draw his attention.

"Hey, don't look at that thing! Look at me, okay? Focus on my face, nothing else." Allen's eyes were still wide with fright, but his mouth stilled and he looked straight at Kanda.

Kanda glanced over to the EMT, who had paused in administering the drug, and nodded. The man proceeded to gently insert it into Allen's left arm and push the plunger down.

Allen stiffened when he felt the needle enter his skin, and again when the drug entered his bloodstream, but he didn't move. Kanda smiled at the younger teen once the ordeal was over. Allen's eyes were already starting to close, but the fear never left them.

"Don't leave…don't…leave…" Allen murmured as he slipped into a drugged unconsciousness. Kanda stroked the boy's brow.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." Kanda was perplexed. Why on earth was this kid so scared of him leaving? They hadn't even met before that day, yet he acted as if they were brothers. And another thing; why was he so protective of the little guy? Maybe it was those babyish eyes…

The ambulance came to a stop in the hospital, and all three of the men in the trailer leaped out and into action. The two professionals unloaded the stretcher and started wheeling the boy into the ER. Kanda ran behind them, staying as close to Allen as he could. They burst through the doors, and were joined by several nurses and doctors.

They started yelling out orders, and Kanda translated each of them in his mind to keep himself from panicking. He focused on the manner of the doctors and their no-nonsense voices, wondering if he could keep that calm under pressure. When they were nearing the OR, Kanda was grabbed roughly by the back of his bloodstained shirt and held back. Kanda twisted in the grip and struck out at whoever was touching him.

A head of bright red hair and an emerald green eye greeted him. "Lavi, you idiot! Let go of me!" Kanda threw his fist at the grinning teen, barely clipping his chin.

"Sorry, Yuu, no can do! You've got that sword of yours on, and I can't let you have that in the hospital." Lavi reached for Kanda's katana.

"Don't fucking touch me, you fucking idiot!" Kanda unsheathed said katana, pointing it directly at Lavi's throat. "Don't make me use it," he said warningly. "I'm not in a good mood." Lavi stuck his tongue out and pushed the sword aside with his finger.

"When are you ever in a good mood?" Lavi gripped the blade's blunt side and pulled it gently out of Kanda's hand. "Tell me what happened; you're obviously not alright now. Your eyes are all puffy and red. Were you crying? Who was that they just took into the operating room?" He paused for a second. "It's not someone related to you, is it?"

Kanda shook his head. "I don't even know the fag. But," he sighed and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. "The little idiot pushed me out of the way of a drunk driver."

Lavi, for once, was speechless. His mouth gaped and closed like a fish. Finally, he found something to say. "You said he didn't know you at all?" Kanda nodded. "And you didn't know him?" Another nod. "And this person, he pushed you out of the way of a _drunk driver_?" Kanda's hands fell from his face.

"What the hell didn't I make clear? Yes, that little bastard pushed me out of the way of a fucking moving vehicle and got hit instead! Yes, he didn't know my name and he saved my worthless ass! Yes, that goddamn little _fifteen-year-old_ let himself get hit-" Kanda's voice broke. He turned and punched the wall with the side of his hand.

"Don't you fucking understand? He's fifteen, and he might die! All because of me…" Kanda bowed his head, and Lavi was shocked to see the teen's shoulders shaking.

"Kanda…"

* * *

**AN: I can't say there will be an update anytime in the near future, what with school starting soon and work and everything life has to throw in one's face, but I will try my best to keep up with this story! Please review! Thank you so much to everyone who has done so as of this upload, and everyone who does in the future!**


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